Collapsible display tray



June 18, 1968 J. R. RADEK 3,388,808

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY TRAY Filed March 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hal 0 f33 gm LQQIIl INVENTOR sy Q2, John R. Bade/z June 18, 1968 R, RADEKCOLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY TRAY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1966 I W HE IN VEN TOR John B. .Qadek June 18, 1968 J. R RADEK 3,388,808

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY TRAY Filed March 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lINVENTOB k Johrz ,2 2adele Jun 8 J. R. QQADEK 3,388,808

COLLAPSIBLE DISPLAY TRAY Filed March 25, 19 66 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 -91 :3E8 as @51 United States Patent 3,388,808 COLLAPSEBLE DISPLAY TRAY JohnR. Radek, Hinsdale, ilk, assignor to Ready Metal Mfg. Co., Chicago,111., a corporation of lliinois Filed Mar. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 536,809 7Claims. (Cl. 211-132) AESTRACT OF THE DISQLOSURE A collapsiblemerchandise display rack of rugged construction, which may be knockeddown to a compact state for shipment, formed mainly of wire, which maybe sup ported by a modular post system, and which consists essentiallyof a horizontal shelf portion formed with depending flanges at the frontand back thereof. Front and back walls are hingedly mounted to the freeedges of the flanges to permit the walls to be set u and locked inupstanding position by detachable and adjustably positioned dividers ofthe type disclosed in applicants earlier Patent No. 3,015,399. Thereby,a rigid container with compartments of any desired width are attainable.Alternatively, the walls may be swung through an arc of approximately270 to nest below the horizontal shelf portion and in the space betweenthe flanges, to permit packing the display tray in a minimum amount ofspace.

My invention relates broadly to the art of display equipment intendedprimarily for use by merchants for the display of relatively small itemsof merchandise, and more particularly for the display of such goods in aretail drygoods store.

It has long been recognized that bent wire is especially desirable forsuch equipment because of the ease of working, relatively low cost,light weight, convenient cleanability, etc., and my invention isespecially designed for, but not restricted to, such material. In somerespects my present invention may be considered an improvement over theinvention disclosed and claimed in my Patent No. 3,015,399, granted Jan.2, 1962, and that of Sides Patent No. 2,868,391, dated Jan. 13, 1959.

A particular object of my invention is the provision of a merchandisedisplay tray of the character referred to which may readily be collapsedto occupy a minimum of space for convenient storage or shipment.

A further object is to provide an article of the type referred to whichis simple in construction, easy and inexpensive to fabricate bymass-production methods, rugged and long-lived despite hard usage, andgenerally satisfactory for the purposes desired.

A special object of my invention is to provide a merchandise displaybasket of the type referred to preferably, although not nece sarily,formed of wire, having a bottom, front and back wall members, the frontand back wall members being swivelled to the bottom wall or shelfportion, in combination with adjustable dividers, said dividers servingnot only to provide compartments or bins of any desired width but alsobeing detachably connectable to the front and back wall members to forma rigid basket or tray.

Still another object is to provide a display basket of the type referredto wherein the front and back wall members are so swivelly joined to theshelf portion as to be swingable within an angle of approximately 270,i.e., from their normal upstanding positions both outwardly andinwardly, to permit connecting and disconnecting them with the dividers,such inward movement extending to a position overlying the shelf portionfor convenient packing in a minimum of space.

I am aware that basket-type containers or bins having a pivotal wall,usually formed of wire, have been sug- 3,888,808 Patented June 18, 1968gested, as in Goldman Patent No. 2,662,661, granted Dec. 15, 1953, whichdiscloses a grocery cart of the type commonly used in supermarkets witha collapsible rear Wall to permit nesting of one cart with another.However, my invention contemplates a different type of structure fordifferent purposes, as hereinafter described.

Still another object is to provide a display tray of the characterreferred to which is especially adapted to be mounted on standardskeleton framing or like supporting means.

In my Patent No. 3,015,399 I disclose and claim a merchandise displaytray including a sheet-metal shelf in combination with separate frontand back members formed of bent wire and also including adjustabledividers, likewise of wire. While that construction has been foundeminently satisfactory, my present invention represents a markedimprovement thereover in that the bottom or shelf portion of the tray islikewise formed of wire, resulting in a great saving in weight and cost;furthermore, in the present invention the front and back walls arehingedly connected to the horizontal or shelf portion, resulting in agreat saving of time in erection or demounting of the equipment, andgreatly facilitating packing and shipping. Further, in my presentinvention, the back and front walls are detachably connected to dividersto provicle a firm, rigid basket.

My present invention contemplates employment of detachable andadjustable dividers, preferably formed of wire, which may, if desired,be similar in construction to corresponding members shown in myaforesaid Patent No. 3,015,399.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification andillustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating one embodiment of amerchandise display tray embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the same;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, takensubstantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2, showing in full lines thetray in condition for use and, in dotted lines, the front and back wallsswung out;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but upside down and showing the trayin collapsed condition for storage or shipment;

FIG. 5 is a section-elevation taken substantially along the line 5-5 ofFIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section-elevation taken substantallyalong the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 taken substantially along the line7--7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken substantially along theline 8-8 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 9 is a rear elevation with parts in section, viewed substantiallyalong the line 9-9 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary bottom plan, viewed substantially along theline 1010 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a trayembodylng my invention in partially assembled condition and mounted on astandard skeleton supporting frame.

Referring first to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 10 indicates in generala preferred embodiment of a merchandise display tray embodying myinvention which is especially adapted to be supported on skeletonframing of a type which has long been standard in this art, or othersuitable supporting means. Such supporting framework may comprise aplurality of spaced rear vertical posts P and front posts P A commontype of suitable post is provided with a series of closely spaced slotswhich provide attaching means for hook formations H formed onhorizontally extending brackets B, which may likewise be standard itemsin this art. Obviously, various other suitable means may be employed forsupporting my improved tray.

It will be understood that the front and rear posts may be arranged inpairs, connected top and bottom by suitable stringers extendinglongitudinally and also transversely of the trays, and spaced along awall of a store or other merchandise display area. If desired, theframing may be diposed remote from a wall, in which latter case tandemframing may be connected to the rear posts extending in oppositedirections therefrom.

Tray comprises a bottom or shelf portion 12 intended to liesubstantially horizontally and resting on said horizontally spacedbracket members B mounted on posts P as seen best in FIG. 3. Said shelfportion 12 preferably comprises a plurality of longitudinally spacedwires 14 attached as by welding, brazing or the like to spacedhorizontal stringers or connecting members 18, 18. Wire members 14- arebent downwardly at the front and rear of the shelf to form dependingportions 19 and 20 (FIG. 3), said depending portions being attached asby welding or brazing to connecting wires 22, '22 so as to providesubstantially vertical depending flange portions at the front and rearof the tray.

Thus, it will be seen that I provide an all-wire shelf which is fully asrugged and stiff as a sheet metal shelf but which is considerablylighter in weight, having substantially less metal therein than a sheetmetal shelf, and is substantially less expensive to fabricate and isless likely to collect dust and dirt.

Tray 10 also includes a rear wall indicated generally by the character Wdisposed at the back of shelf 12, said wall preferably comprising aplurality of longitudinally spaced Wires secured to a plurality of top,bottom and intermediate stringers or connecting wires 33a, 33b and 33cattached as by brazing or welding. Said back wall is pivotally connectedto shelf portion 12 as by means of a plurality of U-shaped hinge members35, the extremities of the legs of said hinge members being attached asby brazing to one of the wires 22', and the bottom wire 330 of the backwall W being rotatable in the bight portion of said hinge members 35. Aplurality of said hinge members are secured to the shelf portion atspaced intervals in sufiicient number to provide adequate pivotalsupport for the back wall.

A front wall W is also pivotally connected to shelf portion 12 in likemanner. Thus, said front wall is formed of a plurality of longitudinallyspaced wires which are attached as by brazing or welding to a pluralityof horizontally extending stringer wires such as a, 45b. It will benoted that the upstanding wires of the front wall extend in a diagonallyupwardly and forwardly direction (FIG. 3) and are then bent reversely toprovide an upwardly and rearwardly extending portion 48. A rectangularloop of wire is attached to said rearwardly extending portion 48 forfurther stiffening of the front wall.

Said front wall is pivotally attached to the bottom or shelf portion 12in a manner similar to the back wall by means of longitudinally spacedU-shaped hinge members (FIG. 3).

Thus, as seen in FIG. 4, the front and back walls may be swung throughan arc of approximately 270 from their upstanding positions to collapsedhorizontal positions adjacent the underside of the shelf (FIG. 4), forconvenient packing, storage and shipment. In this condition, thecomplete tray occupies a minimum of space.

Furthermore, inasmuch as the front and rear walls are permanentlyattached to the shelf, they cannot be mislaid.

In combination with the tray, as described above, I provide detachabledividers for separating the available shelf space into any number ofbins or compartments of any desired width. For this purpose I may employdividers of any desired or suitable construction. In the embodimentshown herein I disclose a divided D which is substantially similar to aform of divider shown in my aforesaid Patent No. 3,015,399.

Dividers D comprise a main portion having an encompassing generallyrectangular wire loop 60, with a plurality of spaced generally parallelwires 62, and also having means for detachably connecting the divider tothe front and rear walls. Said attaching means, in general, comprises avertically elongated loop-form hook element 65 at the rear and agenerally similar hook element 65' at the front of the divider, saidhook elements being adapted to embrace an upstanding wire of the frontor back wall, as the case might be. Also provided on said divider is aresilient lock member 70 (FIG. 3) the free end of which forms anabutment 72, all as fully described in my aforesaid patent.

In use, after the supporting frame (also preferably of knock-downconstruction) has been erected, including brackets B, my improved basketor tray will be disposed on said brackets, with the front and rear wallsdisposed more or less in the positions shown dotted in FIG. 3. Dividermembers D are then arranged at desired positions ,on the tray and firstconnected to the back wall W which is swung up to the full-lineposition, by engagement of hook member 65 with one of the upstandingwires. The front wall is then swung upwardly to the position shown infull lines and hook portion 65' engaged around one of the upstandingwires of said front wall. For this purpose resilient locking member 70is sprung out of its normal position to permit engagement of said hookwith the upstanding wire, and the lock member is then allowed to springback in place, whereupon abutment 72 serves to retain the divider in itsproper position. The other dividers may then be mounted successively indesired positions to provide bins or compartments of the desired width.

It will be understood that trays embodying my invention, as describedabove, may be fabricated of any desired length; furthermore, such traysmay be arranged in tandem fashion alongside each other by merely addingto the supporting framework, to provide display areas of any length.

Demounting of the tray from its normal position as shown in full lines(FIG. 3) is simply a reverse of the operation for assembly or erectionthereof, as described above. After removal of the dividers, the frontand rear walls are swung into position overlying the bottom wall, asseen in full lines in FIG. 4, and for convenient packing, storage andshipment the dividers may be disposed in nested relation with the trayproper, to occupy a minimum of space.

While my preferred embodiment contemplates that my improved tray beformed substantially entirely of wire, for best enjoyment of myinvention, certain benefits may be obtained if other suitable materialsbe substituted in whole or in part in lieu of wire.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to belimited to the specific embodiment shown and described or usesmentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of myinvention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A collapsible merchandise display tray comprising (a) a generallyhorizontal shelf member with a downwardly extending flange portion atthe front and rear thereof,

(b) front and back walls comprising a plurality of longitudinally spacedvertical wires with transversely extending stringers including ahorizontal wire at the lower edge of each wall hinged to the free edgesof said flanges to permit swiveling movement of said walls outwardlyrelative to the shelf member through an arc of approximately 270 topositions underlying said shelf member, for packing in a minimum space,and

(c) dividers normally extending between said walls and adjustably anddetachably connected thereto to provide a rigid container assembly withcompartments of predetermined width.

2. An article as defined in claim 1, including a plurality of hingeloops fixed to the free edges of said flanges at longitudinally spacedintervals, the bights of said loops adapted to seat the horizontal wiresat the lower edges of the walls for their pivotal movement.

3. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said shelf member of saiddisplay tray is formed by a plurality of longitudinally spaced wiresintegrated by a plurality of transversely extending stringers, aplurality of hinge loops fixed to the free edges of said flanges atlongitudinally spaced intervals, and extending outwardly from theoutermost stringers, the bights of said loops adapted to seat thehorizontal wires at the lower edges of the walls for their pivotalmovement.

4. A. merchandise display tray formed substantially of wire, comprising(a) a generally horizontal shelf member having a main portion in agenerally horizontal plane and a depending flange-like portion at thefront and rear thereof,

(b) a plurality of hinge members fixed at longitudinally spacedintervals adjacent the free extremity of each of said flange-likeportions,

(c) front and back walls having a series of longitudinally spacedvertical wires serving as attachment members, said walls being pivotallyconnected to said hinge members of said shelf members, to permitswiveling movement of said walls outwardly relative to the shelf member,

(d) a divider normally extending between said walls and having means atthe front and rear thereof engageable with the attachment members ofsaid walls for detachably locking said divider in a predeterminedlongitudinal position in said tray, to provide a rigid containerassembly with compartments of predetermined width, and

(c) said locking means comprising wire hooks at the front and rear ofsaid divider with a resilient looking member in combination with one ofsaid hooks.

5. A combination as in claim 4, wherein (a) said hinge members aregenerally U-shaped,

(b) said walls each having a pintle embraced within said hinge members,whereby, when said walls are swung to their fully collapsed position,they are disposed generally parallel to said horizontal portion.

6. A combination as in claim 5, wherein said pintles are part of a wireextending substantially the length of the wall and serving also as astringer tying together longitudinally spaced wires.

7. A combination as in claim 4 having at least two dividers as definedin claim 4, said dividers being spaced a substantial distance apart.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,319,470 5/1943 Nobles 211l532,352,345 6/1944 Randell 211-453 2,680,522 6/1954 Temple 211149 X2,934,214 4/1960 Mogulescu et al. 211-l50 X 3,015,399 1/1962 Radek211134 3,269,556 8/1966 Streater 2111S4 X ROY D. FRAZIER, PrimaryExaminer.

